Welcome! My name is Matt Hales and I am currently in my first semester of my Masters of Engineering Program at Cornell University, pursuing a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Here, you can find information regarding my academics endeavours as well as my extracurricular interests and personal interests.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| 50 Yard Freestyle | 21.59 seconds |
| 100 Yard Freestyle | 46.50 seconds |
| 200 Yard Freestyle | 1:39.38 |
| 500 Yard Freestyle | 4:29.27 |
| 1000 Yard Freestyle | 9:19.91 |
| 1650 Yard Freestyle | 15:40.40 |
| 400 Yard Individual Medley | 4:02.12 |
From age 9 to 19, I swam for the Mission Viejo Nadadores, in Mission Viejo, California, beginning my swimming career with them in the 9/10 year old divison. At the age of 12, I represented Southern California Swimming in the 2011 North American Challenge Cup, an international competition between the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Eventually, I climbed the ranks and joined the Nadadores' National Group, under Head Coach Bill Rose, at the age of 14, where I continued to train for 5 more years. During my high school career. I swam for my the Varsity Team and, as Captain, led the team to its first League Championship in 19 years. During my senior year of high school, I committed to Cornell University to swim for their Varsity Team and that was one of the best decisions I had ever made, as the friends I had the privilege of swimming with are some of the hardest working, caring, and supportive teammates I have ever had. Being apart of the team at Cornell was such an amazing experience and I would never trade my swimming career and the people I've met over the years for anything. To those of you who have supported me and pushed me harder and harder every day in practice, thank you. It's because of these people that I learned the true meaning of teamwork and discipline and I am forever grateful for it.
Apart from being an Electrical and Computer Engineering major, I love to spend time with friends. At home, going to the beach and getting some sun again after Ithaca turned me pale white is always a good move.
When forced indoors, especially during the pandemic, I've spent my time FaceTiming friends and playing old video games I havent played in a while. I helped my cousin build a new computer and if anyone wants to play some Warzone, Destiny 2, or Battlefield 4, let's do it! I've also been watching some new shows, like The Mandalorian, Avatar: the Last Airbender, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Attack on Titan, and Hunter x Hunter.
I also love to spend time working on my non-profit organization Goggles for Guppies, which I co-founded with my twin brother in 2011 to help provide underprivileged families with important swimming equipment. In doing so, we hope to minimize the risk of childhood drowning, and you can find more information on our website.
